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Pablo Prigioni, who in his one year with the Nets was credited with helping Brooklyn’s guard corps, is leaving for Minnesota, reports Adrian Wojnarowski.
Minnesota is hiring Brooklyn’s player development coach Pablo Prigioni as an assistant coach, league sources tell ESPN. Prigioni has common Rockets history with Minnesota President Gersson Rosas. He’ll focus on offensive end under coach Ryan Saunders.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 7, 2019
Prigioni, 42, becomes the second Nets staffer to join Rosas, the former Rocket assistant GM, in Minny. The Nets also lost Gianluca Pascucci, their director of global scouting to Rosas. Pascucci is now the Timberwolves assistant GM. Prigioni played for the Rockets and Pascucci was director of player personnel when Rosas was assistant GM in Houston.
The Nets now have three coaching vacancies to fill: offensive coordinator Chris Fleming who left to become lead assistant coach in Chicago; Long Island Nets coach Will Weaver who has joined the Sydney Kings in Australia’s NBL; and now Prigioni.
The Nets also lost Assistant GM Trajan Langdon to the Pelicans.
Jared Dudley and DeMarre Carroll tweeted that the Nets success is a big factor in the exodus.
This year has showed you how good Brooklyn Front office and Coaching staff has been.. Everybody getting better opportunities with different organizations cuz of what they have done with the Nets! https://t.co/TU1XKlhDll
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) June 7, 2019
That’s crazy for that many people to leave a organization. Shows what having a good culture does. Two years ago when I arrived players and coaches was fighting just to stay relevant https://t.co/1bAVj1hOLj
— DeMarre Carroll (@DeMarreCarroll1) June 7, 2019
Prigioni got particular praise for his work with D’Angelo Russell and the Nets young playmakers, Dzanan Musa and Theo Pinson. He worked as well with Rodions Kurucs. He is in Riga, Latvia, next week for Basketball Without Borders Europe.
In a tweet overnight, Prigioni thanked Kenny Atkinson and Sean Marks for the opportunity.
I want to thanks the @BrooklynNets organization, specially to Sean and Kenny for the opportunity, the trust and also for understand the reasons why I need to move. You guys are running a super first class organization and i wana wish you nothing but the best. THANKS!!!
— Pablo Prigioni (@PPrigioni9) June 8, 2019
Prigioni, a native of Cordoba, Argentina, played professional basketball on three continents, South America, Europe and North America, his longest stretch with Baskonia in the Spanish league. He also played for the Knicks and Clippers as well as the Rockets in the NBA.
The 6’4” guard also won a bronze medal for Argentina in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
- Raid on Nets continues as Timberwolves nab assistant coach Prigioni - Michael Blinn - New York Post